Bad to Worse
by Evenstar656
Summary: A gunman gets away during a firefight, and Don and Charlie may not survive its effects. Sorry, I'm really bad at summaries.
1. A Bad Day

Title: Bad to Worse

Author: Evenstar656

Disclaimer: The "Numb3rs" characters belong to CBS and unfortunately I'm just borrowing them for this story, and all of the other characters are mine.

Summary: A gunman gets away during a firefight and he goes after Don, and he may not survive. Sorry, I'm really bad at summaries.

Author's Notes: Sorry I removed "Repercussions", I made a big mistake and it wasn't going where I wanted it to go. I don't like the idea of Charlie getting hurt because he doesn't have a dangerous job, so this is about Don.

**Bad to Worse**

Chapter 1-A Bad Day

The firefight had been going on for a half hour with no clear winners. Don and a team of FBI agents were trying to take down multiple gunmen at Loehman's Plaza in downtown LA. The gunmen were going to steal weapons software until Charlie's equation had pinpointed their target. The agents were crouched behind pillars, cars, and stone walls. The gunmen were directly across from the agents. So far 3 gunmen had been taken out; there were only 4 more gunmen left.

"Aren't they going to give up?" Don asked Terry as he reloaded his weapon.

"At this rate, no."

David nodded in agreement. Don, Terry, and David were crouched behind a stone wall that was used to make a flower box. Don repositioned himself and took down a gunman. Five minutes went by until another gunman went down. Charlie was watching the events unfold on a TV monitor in the back of the tactical truck that was safely parkedin the parking deck to the adjacent building.

"Don?" Charlie said while zooming in on a gunman behind the flower box on the other side of the plaza.

"Yeah Charlie?" Don said having to push his earpiece in to hear.

"There is a gunman behind the flower box; he's directly across from you."

Don moved so that he could see the gunman. Terry was looking at him questionably. Don ducked down as the gunman started shooting his way.

"There is another gunman behind the other flower box."

Terry rose up and looked. She fired one round and took the gunman down. Don rose to see the gunman go down. He just looked at her.

"Wow, nice shot."

"I thought so too. Thank you Charlie."

"No problem Terry," Charlie said while smiling to himself.

The both took cover as another gunman started firing at them.

"Good, only two more left," David was saying as he reloaded his weapon.

The firing had been going on for about an hour. Everyone was physically and mentally exhausted. It took another ten minutes for another gunman to be taken out. Once the gunman went down there was no more firing. All of the agents rose up to look. What hey saw surprised them; there was no one left in the plaza.

"Where did the last guy go?" David asked Don.

"I don't know. Charlie, what happened to the last guy?"

Charlie sprang into action looking at the TV monitors. He saw the same thing the agents saw, nothing.

"I don't know; he is no where in the plaza."

"Did he go into the building?"

Charlie rewound the tapes and watched intensely. He saw no one go in or out of the building. He also looked for someone leaving. He caught it; he could see a man running towards the side of the building and around it.

"No one went inside the building, but there was a guy who ran towards the back of the building."

"Thank ya Charlie. Everyone check the perimeter, the guy was last seen running towards the back side of the building."

Once Don issued the order, everyone scattered. Don, Terry, and David went over to where the gunmen were laying. They paused briefly to make sure they were all no longer a threat.

"I don't get this, why would he run?" Don asked Terry.

"Maybe he got scared or who knows?"

The three agents continued to walk cautiously around the skyscraper. The three agents ran into others at the back of the building. Don threw his hands up in frustration. After several more minutes of searching, Don called the search off. The rest of the agents gathered around him for debriefing.

"All right, put out an APB for this guy. See if we can get a clear picture off a security camera. Alert local PD and tell them to be on the lookout for this guy. We don't know if he ran to regroup or got scared. Tell them that this guy is armed and extremely dangerous. All right people lets get to work; we got a lot of paperwork coming."

The agents dispersed and Don and Terry headed for the parking deck. After getting Charlie and taking off his tactical gear he got inside his suburban. Terry was at the trunk taking her tactical gear off. Don turned around to talk to Charlie, who was in the backseat.

"Nice work out there Charlie."

"Thanks."

While the brothers were talking, the last gunman crept up to the front of the SUV. The next few moments seemed to happen in slow motion. He took aim and squeezed the trigger of his machine gun slightly sending off one round hurdling into the atmosphere towards Don. The round caught him in the side of the chest. At first Don did not know what hit him until he turned around to face the gunman. Their eyes locked and the gunman sent another round in to the atmosphere. This round caught Don in the neck. His hands immediately flew to his neck and he arched back against the seat. The gunman took aim for another shot, but Terry took him out with one round to the chest.

"Don!" Charlie yelled as he watched the horror unfold.

He was frozen with horror as he watched his older brother shut his eyes in pain. He tried to get out of the vehicle, but his legs were frozen. Terry immediately ran to Don's side and opened the door. She pulled him out and laid him on the concrete. She moved Don's hands and held pressure on his neck. By that time several agents had rushed to the scene and they were all yelling for help.

"Medics!"

"We need EMTs now!"

"Officer down! I repeat officer down!"

_No…this cannot be happening _


	2. An Eternity

Author's Note: Sorry these chapters are coming up slow, I'm trying to get these up as fast as I can type. **Thank you everyone for reading! Thank you so much if you reviewed!** I really appreciated all of the feedback I get. It helps me so much when I write other chapters.

**Bad to Worse**

Chapter 2- An Eternity

David Sinclairsuddenly jumped in front of Charlie. He caught Charlie before he could get to his brother. David's large arms held him from getting loose.

"Let go of me!" Charlie demanded his voice on the verge of tears and panic. "That is my brother over there."

"It's okay Charlie. You need to let the medics take care of him. It's going to be okay."

"Don! Don! Where is he?" Charlie yelled as he was struggling harder. "I need to get to him!"

Charlie could see his brother's form when agents moved to let the medics in. He could see Terry hovering over his brother; her hands stained a bright red as she was desperately trying to stop the blood coming from Don's neck. Charlie's brain started rattling off survival stats gunshot wounds to the neck, and realized that they were not good. Charlie suddenly stopped struggling which surprised David and he loosened his grip. Charlie felt David loosen his grip and he took advantage of it and ran towards his brother.

Charlie pushed his way into the ring of agents around Don. What he saw made him lose his breath. Don was as white as his shirt, and he looked asleep peacefully. The medics were frantically trying to stem the blood flow from his chest and neck. Charlie could see the IV that was pumping regular saline into the back of his brother's hand. Charlie could not tell if Don was breathing with all of the noise and frenzy surrounding him.

Charlie stood there in a panic as the medics put Don onto the awaiting stretcher. The medics put a grey blanket over Don and secured the belts around him. They lifted the stretcher so that they could wheel it to the awaiting ambulance. The agents in the medics' paths parted like the Red Sea. Charlie was able to get his legs moving and followed the stretcher to the ambulance that had pulled up into the parking deck. One of medics turned to Charlie.

"Who are you?" the medic asks the medic.

"I'm his brother," is all that Charlie is able to muster up.

"Would you like to ride?" Charlie just nods 'yes' to the medic; never taking his eyes off of his brother. "Come on, we have to hurry."

"Whoa, this man is still alive," an agent said while he was checking the gunman's pulse.

The medics came to a halt and looked at each other, questioning what to do.

"We'll have to call another bus. This man needs to get to the hospital now." The medic picked up his walkie-talkie. "This is unit 15 requesting another bus. There is another person that was injured. I'm at The Loehman's Plaza parking deck, first floor. We cannot stay; have a gunshot wound to the neck and chest."

_That's not a good sign_

Apparently the medic got what he wanted because they started moving again. They loaded Don into the ambulance with haste and left. Charlie was watching with sickened fascination as the medic ripped Don's shirt open, cut his t-shirt and attached him the heart monitor. Next the medic put an oxygen mask on Don's face; this was a reassurance to Charlie because he could now see his older brother breathe. The medic could sense Charlie's distress as he changed the bandage on Don's chest.

"Don't worry, he cannot feel this."

Charlie could not stop himself from watching the medic as he was changing the bandage on Don's chest. Charlie could not keep his eyes off of his brother's face; it was as white as the sheet and relaxed. Charlie wanted to touch him, but was afraid.

_Don't give up Don, I'm here_

Mercifully the ambulance ride was brief and they were at the hospital in no time. Charlie could see the awaiting medical staff through the windows on the ambulance. The medic began gathering everything that was attached to Don. The ambulance screeched to a halt at the emergency room doors. Immediately the medical team opened up the doors and pulled the stretcher out. The medic bypassed Charlie and followed the team. Charlie was able to get his legs moving and got out of the ambulance.

LA Memorial Hospital

Everything seemed to go in slow motion as Don was rushed into the emergency room and through the double doors that led to the treatment rooms. Charlie tried to follow, but a nurse stopped him before he could get to the double doors.

"Where are you going?"

"M-my brother went back there," Charlie said pointing to the double doors.

"I'm sorry you cannot go back there. It is critical that you do not go back there. You can sit here," the nurse said pointing to a couple rows of chairs. Charlie went to the chairs, but he could not sit down so he was pacing around the chairs.

This was how Alan found his son when he arrived. Already several agents still clad in their tactical gear were waiting in the same area. Alan went immediately to his son.

"Are you okay Charlie?" Alan said as he sat is youngest son down.

"I-I'm fine."

"What happened? Where is Don?"

"Something went wrong…Don was shot," Charlie was choking back tears. "There was so much b-blood; he was so pale."

Alan pulled his son into an embrace.

20 min later 1:36pm

More agents had arrived and were talking quietly. Charlie was resting peacefully on his father's shoulder. A nurse approached the two men.

"Are you Don Eppes' family?" the nurse said having to look at a sticky note for the name. Charlie immediately woke up when he heard his brother's name, and Alan sat up straighter.

"Yes, I am his father."

"I've just come to tell you that they took him up to surgery and you all can go up there and wait for him."

"Do you know how he is?"

"I'm sorry Mr. Eppes; I was not one of the ones working on your son. The people upstairs may have some news. The OR waiting room is on the third floor, it is the first thing you will see when you get off the elevator. I'm sorry; I wish that I had more information for you." The nurse left quietly.

Alan hated hospitals after his wife died. He helped Charlie up and they made their way to the OR waiting room.

The waiting room was empty when they got there, but that changed quickly because all of the agents went upstairs with them. Terry and David were also there. The quickly found Alan and Charlie, and approached them.

"Do you know what happened?" Alan was asking.

"We were at a plaza taking fire and a gunman got away. Needless to say, he found out where the cars were and waited for everyone. The gunman shot Don in the chest while he was in his suburban. The gunman shot Don again in the neck." Terry said in a soft voice on the verge of tears. Alan stared at Terry in disbelief.

"Oh my God." Terry looked at Charlie and could see his eyes watering.

_I killed Don _

"I-It was my fault dad," Charlie said in a shaky voice. "I wrote the equation that sent him there. He would not have been there if it weren't for me." Alan pulled Charlie into an embrace and began his head.

"It's not your fault Charlie. You didn't shoot Don; the gunman did," Alan said soothingly. "He's going to be okay."

"How do you know?"

"Would your brother leave you?" Charlie just sat there quiet thinking about the question.

_He wouldn't intentionally leave me. Would he?_

Terry sat down next to Charlie, and he could see the faint redness on her hands from Don's blood. That was the last thing Charlie said before he drifted off to sleep.

Next chapter coming soon! Sorry to keep you waiting! Please review, they are much appreciated!


	3. The News

Author's Note: **Thank you so much for reading!** I'm trying to get these chapters up as fast as I can think and type (some days it's slow). I appreciate everyone's feedback. **Thank you for reviewing!** I appreciate it so much, and it helps me out a great deal!

Special thanks to Bloodsuckers37 for reading and helping me get the medical 'stuff' right.

**Bad to Worse**

Chapter 3- The News

5hrs later, OR waiting room

The atmosphere was tense; as most knew, 5 hours in surgery was probably not a good sign. The crowd had only increased. More and more agents, officers, and people showed up to wait for news about Don. Periodically someone would leave, but they would come back. Charlie and Terry were fast asleep and had been for some time. Everyone was well aware that Don's father and brother were there, and gave them space. Alan, tired, was resting his head on his fist. By now, Alan was worried.

_Was there a problem?_

Finally a middle-aged doctor came out. The doctor looked very tired, and he went right up to Alan.

"Are you Donald Eppes' father?"

Alan stood up and nudged Charlie. It took Charlie a couple of seconds to rub the sleep out of his eyes and comprehend that the doctor was there.

"Yes, I'm his father." Alan said looking the doctor in the eye. Everyone else was looking at them, waiting for what the doctor was going to say.

"Mr.Eppes is out of surgery. I'm Dr.Andrews, I operated on Mr.Eppes. Luckily, both bullets didn't cause any serious, permanent damage. The bullet that went through the chest did puncture his left lung, and embedded itself in the back of a rib. Luckily the bullet that went through his neck didn't hit anything major. There was a slight nick on his carotid, and a vein was hit. However there was a significant amount of blood loss. Mr.Eppes did waver a few times, but he stuck it out." The doctor gave Alan and Charlie a couple seconds to absorb everything.

_He's alive._

"So how is he?" Alan asked.

"Right now, he is resting in the ICU. The next 24 to 48 hours are going to be critical. "If he makes it through this critical time period, then his chances for recovery are greatly increased."

"Can we go see him?" Charlie asked from behind his father.

"Sure. He is in the ICU so that means he can only have no more than 2 visitors at a time, and they must behave themselves. If you follow me I will take you up there."

Alan gathered his coat and followed the doctor. Charlie was right next to his father. The rest of the crowd stared at the three men, and all looked relieved. The doctor started talking as they were walking.

"When you get up there, don't be afraid of all the machines and such. Since Mr.Eppes' chance for infection is high, we have him on a potent antibiotic. Most people have trouble tolerating it, so there is a tube down his nose so he can't throw up. Also, don't worry about the ventilator. It's just helping his lungs because we don't want them to strain." The doctor silenced as they approached Don's room.

Alan was glad that the doctor finally quit talking. The doctor led the two men to Don's room (#4), and opened the door and let them in.

"Oh my gosh!" Alan was taken back by the sight of his eldest son. It was hard to tell where Don was underneath the myriad of tubes and wires. The ET tube down his son's throat made Alan feel worse, and Don looked like he was sleeping peacefully. Charlie was staring at the bandages peeking out of Don's hospital gown at the neck. The bed was set up against the right side of the room. Apparently someone knew about Alan and Charlie because there were two recliners, one on each side of the bed. Charlie took the seat on the left side of the bed, the one closet to door, and Alan took the other seat. Alan just looked at Don, and took his hand. Charlie just sat there, staring.

_This is all my fault. We wouldn't have to be here if it weren't for me. Come on Don, you have to pull through._

A couple of minutes later a cherry, brunette nurse came in. Only Alan looked up to see who was in the room.

"Hello, my name is Erin. I will be Mr.Eppes' nurse while he is in the Unit."

"I'm Alan, Don's father, and this is his brother Charlie," Alan said pointing to Charlie. The nurse just smiled and nodded.

"If you have any questions, please feel free to ask," Erin said as she was writing the numbers from the heart monitor onto a piece of paper.

Charlie looked at the heart monitor too, and he noticed something strange. Don's heart rate was high. Millions of numbers were running through Charlie's head. He was going to ask about it.

"Ex-Excuse me?"

"Yes," the nurse said turning around to meet Charlie's eyes.

"W-Why is his heart rate fast?"

Alan looked questionably at Charlie, and then at the nurse.

"Well his heart rate is fast because he doesn't have enough blood in his body. His heart has to work harder to keep the blood flowing. It's kind of like squeezing a balloon that doesn't have much air in it, but were giving him blood to fix that."

"Oh, okay. Thank you."

"Sure, no problem. Well I probably will be back around 7:30 with Dr.Andrews, but if you need anything the call button is here," the nurse said pointing to the buttons on the bedrails. Alan nodded and the nurse left.

Both men continued their vigilance. Charlie scooted his chair closer to the bed and sat down. Charlie had a full view of the damage done to Don's left side. He looked at Don's hand and saw the IV that was delivering the precious blood to Don's veins. Charlie carefully took Don's hand, as if it would break if he dropped.

_I'm here Don. What can I do?_

Please Review!

I hope you enjoyed. I know guys don't hold each other's hands, but they're all family.


	4. No Improvement

Author's Note: **Thank ya'll so much for reading!** I'm so excited that people like my story. I'm trying to update as fast as I can. I appreciate everyone's feedback. **Thank you for reviewing!** I appreciate it so much, and it helps me out a great deal! Please bear with me through the next chapters and I promise that it will get more exciting.

Special thanks to Bloodsuckers37 for helping me get the medical 'stuff' right, and fixing my many mistakes.

**Bad to Worse**

Chapter 4- No Improvement

7:43 ICU Cubicle 4

Don and Alan were resting peacefully, and Charlie was sitting, staring at Don. The lab and x-ray techs had come and taken blood and x-rays. Charlie was glad that Don had a tube especially for drawing blood so they did not have to stick him. Charlie cringed as the tech took blood. Charlie was not especially fond of blood or needles. Just as Erin promised, she returned with Dr.Andrews carrying a covered tray. Alan awoke when they entered the room and Erin put the tray on the rolling table. Charlie moved over to the other side of the bed and stood next to his father.

"Hello Mr.Eppes, Charlie. I'm just going to check the incision sites and go over his latest tests."

Dr.Andrews put on gloves while Erin untied Don's gown. Dr.Andrews pulled the gown down exposing Don's chest, most of which could not be seen due to the bandages. He turned Don's head and slowly pulled the bandage off of Don's neck. Charlie could faintly see the angry looking wound. The doctor said something quietly to the nurse and re-bandaged the wound. Dr.Andrews did the same thing to Don's chest. For a brief second Charlie could see a tube sticking out of his older brother's chest. After Dr.Andrews was done, Erin wrote down what the monitors read and hung another bag of fluids; she retied Don's hospital gown and left with the tray. Dr.Andrews opened Don's chart, wrote his findings, and closed it after reading its latest attachments.

"Well it looks like Dons' labwork hasn't improved that much. This concerns me because his blood counts are low when they should be increasing, so I'm going to give him another unit of blood after this one runs out," Dr.Andrews said pointing to the, nearly full, bag of blood hanging from an IV pole.

"Is that something we need to worry about?" Alan asked looking directly at the doctor.

"His labs aren't really where I would like them to be right now, but I am seeing some improvement. We are going to add another unit of blood to help improve his labs. We shouldn't worry necessarily, I am concerned because he hasn't improved as much as I would have liked. I'm going to go ahead and cut the sedation back so he can wake up, then we can get a better assessment of his progress."

"Thank you so much Dr. Andrews," Alan said while shaking Dr. Andrews' hand.

"It's not everyday that an FBI agent comes in here."

Dr. Andrew left. Charlie went back to his chair. He sat down and took Don's hand again. Charlie was watching as his dad's eyes were getting heavy.

"Dad, why don't you go home and get some rest."

"I don't want to leave either one of you by yourselves."

"I can stay here and keep Don company and he can keep me company."

"I don't know about that," Alan said eyeing Charlie suspiciously.

"Dad you really need to rest, even if you go home and just take a nap. You can bring back dinner."

Alan sat there thinking about the situation for a moment and started to get up. He thought about staying, but he was also thinking that Charlie wanted some time alone with his big brother.

"I guess I could use a nap and a shower. I want you to call me if anything happens or if you need anything. Anything at all, I want you to call me."

"Yes dad."

Alan gathered his coat and left the room. A couple of minutes later Erin came by.

"Hello Charlie, did your dad go home?" Erin asked while she was checking the various monitor leads attached to Don.

"Yeah, he went home to take a nap and a shower."

Erin checked the amount of fluids left in the multiple IV bags. She continued about her business and left. Charlie was deep thought when he heard a knocking at the door. He looked up to see Terry, who had obviously taken a shower and changed.

"Hey, can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure."

Terry walked over to the other chair and sat down. She carefully took Don's limp hand and looked at his face noticing the myriad of machinery connected to him.

"How is he?" Terry asked taking her eyes off Don.

"I-I think he is still bad. The doctor said something about being concerned about Don's labs and he is going to give him more blood. He also said that they are going to wake Don up soon to get a better idea of how he is doing."

_Hang in there Don._

"I'm going to go get a drink, take a walk, get some fresh air, or something," Charlie said as he was getting up.

He left and headed for the vending machines. On the way he stopped in a waiting room that had the evening news on it. One story especially caught Charlie's attention.

"_6 gunmen are dead, and one gunman and one FBI agent are in critical condition. That is what happened earlier today after a gunfight erupted at Loehman's Plaza at approximately 12:15. The gunmen were trying to steal weapons software from a nearby building. The FBI agent was rushed to LA Memorial with gunshot wounds. The FBI has not released the name of the injured agent but sources say that it was the agent in charge of the operation. Our prayers go out to the agent's family. Now we go to Chris Forgey with the traffic report…" _

The room was silent as Charlie and a few other people watched the footage from a helicopter. Luckily they did not show the gunfight. Charlie got his drink, drank it, and returned to sit with his older brother.

"You missed it Don, you were on TV." Charlie seemed disappointed when Don did not respond.

8:45 PM, ICU Cubicle 4

Both Terry and Charlie were thinking about the day's events.

"Hello, my name is Gail, and I will be Mr.Eppes' nurse for tonight. Let me check Mr.Eppes and then I will check you," Gail said to Charlie.

She went over to Don and wrote down the numbers from the monitors. She checked Don's input and output, and adjusted some IV bags.

"Okay, Dr.Andrews already cut back the sedation so you may see some movement. If everything goes as planned Mr.Eppes should be waking up with in the next day or so."

Alan came in just as the nurse left.

"You ready to go home?" Alan asked Charlie.

"I guess," Charlie said standing up slowly.

"Are you going to stay here Terry?"

"If you don't mind, I'd like to," Terry said straightening up.

"I have no problem with that. If you need anything, just call."

"Thank you Alan. Get a good night's rest."

"Good night Terry," Alan and Charlie said in unison.

The two men took one last look at Don, and left.

I hope you enjoyed! Pleases Review!


	5. Awake

Author's Note: **Thank ya'll so much for reading!** I'm so excited that people like my story. I'm trying to update as fast as I can. I appreciate everyone's feedback. **Thank you for reviewing!** I appreciate it so much, and it helps me out a great deal!

Special thanks to Bloodsuckers37 for reading and helping me get the medical 'stuff' right.

**Bad to Worse**

Chapter 5- Awake

8:00 AM ICU cubicle 4

Don's condition had improved greatly over the next few days, all of which Don slept. Dr.Andrews had come by earlier that morning, and he took the NG tube out. Terry never left Don's side during the night. She'd finally dozed back off when Alan and Charlie arrived. Terry snapped awake when they walked into Don's room.

"What's going on here?" Alan said when he saw fewer tubes that were there when he left.

Dr.Andrews chose the perfect time to appear.

"Good morning. I see that the gang's all here. The last unit of blood must have really helped. Don's blood counts are now about where I'd like to see them. Last night he started fighting the ventilator, so since his lungs were doing well, I went ahead and started weaning him off the ventilator."

"Won't doing that deter his breathing?" Alan asked looking very confused.

"Not really because the ventilator wasn't breathing for him; it was only supplementing his breaths. Since his lungs don't need that much help anymore, it was better to take him off of the ventilator. I also went ahead and removed the NG tube because Don has not shown any adverse reactions to the medications and since all of his meds are being given via IV, there's not going to be much stomach upset.

"Oh, okay."

"Normally we'd go ahead and send him down to the step-down unit, but with him still partially sedated and the severity of his wounds, I'm going to keep him up here in the ICU. Don can be monitored more closely up here."

"When do you think that he'll wake up?" Charlie asked, looking closely at his brother's face.

"It's hard to say. Some people come out quickly and others don't. I wish I had a more definite answer. Do you guys have anymore questions?"

"No," all three said in unison.

"Okay, I'll be back by later this evening. If you have any questions, just ask the nurse and she can get in touch with me."

Everyone nodded and Dr.Andrews left.

"Terry, did you stay here all night?" Alan asked as he took off his jacket.

"Yes I did," Terry said while standing up and stretching.

"Thank you for staying."

"No problem, well I have to get home and go to work."

Terry grabbed her things and headed towards the door. As Terry left, Alan and Charlie said their goodbyes and took up their seats in the room and waited for signs of life from Don. Both were discouraged by lunch time when nothing happened; even though they new how sick Don was they still expected him to jump up like everything was normal.

"You should go and get something to eat Charlie," Alan said breaking the silence.

"I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat, you didn't eat breakfast. I can stay here if you want."

Charlie sat there, and debated for a few seconds and got up. He took one last look at Don and left. About 20 minutes later, movement from the bed caught Alan's attention; he was squirming, trying to move.

"Mmmm," Don said opening his eyes slowly.

Alan was sitting on the edge of his chair. He grabbed his son's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Donny?"

Don slowly turned his head towards his father. Don tried to say something, but the ET tube was still in Don's throat. Don started to panic when he realized this, and his gag reflexes kicked in. Alan paged the nurse, who came immediately, and she also brought a doctor. The doctor disconnected the ventilator and was satisfied to see Don breathing on his own. Alan stepped outside of the room, but he was peeking around the door frame. Watching his eldest son panic wanted to make him cry. The doctor was talking to Don.

"Mr.Eppes, I'm going to remove this tube. On the count of three, I want you to blow as hard as you can. It's going to hurt, but I need you to keep blowing. Okay?"

Alan could see Don's head nod. As Don was nodding, Alan saw a glistening on Don's cheek. Alan struggled to see what it was, a tear. Alan had to grip the door frame to keep from falling. The doctor put on gloves and the nurse put a hand on Don's forehead to hold him down. The doctor got a good grasp on the tube, and he prepared to pull.

"1, 2, 3, blow," the doctor commanded.

Alan watched as Don blew, but he failed to expel the tube.

"Okay, we'll try this again. I need you to blow harder."

Don nodded, and once again the doctor prepared to pull the tube.

"1, 2, 3, blow," the doctor commanded.

Don sucked in a deep breath and blew it out with all of his might. It worked because the doctor pulled hard and fast, and the tube was free. Don began to cough, and the doctor and nurse helped Don sit up. Once the coughing spell abated, they lowered Don back down to the bed. The nurse put a nasal cannula up Don's nostrils to give him oxygen. The doctor checked Don's lungs and heart, and left. Shortly after, the nurse left, and Alan went back in to the room.

"Dad?" Don's voice was raspy.

"Everything is okay. How do you feel?"

"Like I got shot in the neck and chest. Everything hurts. I remember someone shouting…Charlie!" Don said trying to sit up.

"Whoa, take it easy," Alan said while pushing Don back. "You've been out of it for awhile."

"Where's Charlie?" Don speech was slurring as he was getting tired.

"He went to go get lunch. You need to rest some more. I'll be right here," Alan said soothingly.

Alan began to rub his son's arm trying to ease his pain. It seemed to work because Don was asleep when Charlie returned. Alan decided that it was best if Charlie did not know that Don had woken up, and told him that the doctor went ahead and removed the ventilator. Alan got up and went to lunch.

3:29 ICU cubicle 4

All of the Eppes were asleep when Erin came in to check on Don. Partially graded papers were scattered in Charlie's lap. Alan woke up when Erin came in. Erin and Alan said hello, and she went about her business. Alan got up and stretched. He grabbed his things and headed for the door. He paused to write a note on Charlie's notebook.

"Erin, I'm going home in case someone asks."

"Okay, Mr.Eppes. I'll call you if anything changes."

"Oh, uh Erin, Don woke up for a minute about three and a half hours ago. I would have called except he went back to sleep almost immediately."

"That's great. I'll tell Dr.Andrews. Did Don say anything specific about how he was feeling?"

"Uh, he said that everything was hurting."

"Thanks, I'll let Dr. Andrews know."

"Thank you Erin," Alan said before leaving.

Erin went about her business and left. Charlie was still fast asleep when Don woke up again.

"Charlie," Don said without opening his eyes.

Of course Charlie heard that and woke up immediately. He put his papers aside and scooted up to the bed. He grabbed Don's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I'm here Don."

Don opened his eyes and turned his head to face Charlie, while wincing in the process.

"Are you okay?" Don said with his raspy voice.

"Yeah, that was scary though," Charlie said with a faint smile.

"I'm sorry; it wasn't like I planned for it to happen. Where's dad?"

"That's a good question," Charlie said while reading the note his father left him. "Looks like he went home to take a shower and rest."

"How long have I been out?"

"A Couple of days."

"Was anyone else hurt?"

"Nope, just you and the gunman."

Dr.Andrews knocked softly on the door and came in.

"Hey, it's nice to have you back Mr.Eppes. I'm Dr.Andrews; you probably don't remember me, but I was with you in the ER and OR."

Don just shook his head 'no'. Dr.Andrews shook Don's hand and went right to business.

"First of all how do you feel?" Dr. Andrews said while listening to Don's heart and lungs.

"Tired and everything hurts."

"You had us worried for a little while. I know that these next questions are going to sound stupid, so just bear with me."

Dr.Andrews quizzed Don on his surrounding, name, dates, and other random questions. Dr.Andrews also checked Don's reflexes, nerves, and muscles.

"Well, you don't seem to have any neurological damage, that's good. Your blood work is looking a lot better than what it did. You are looking much better than when you came in here."

"How long until I can leave and go back to work?" Don said tiredly.

"Everything depends on how fast you heal, and if you take things easy. I wish I could tell you more. Well, I'll come back by later to change your dressings. Please get some rest; that is the best thing for you right now. I'm going to go ahead and give you an extra dose of Morphine."

Dr.Andrews took a pre-filled syringe out of his pocket, and injected its contents into an IV port. Don nodded and Dr.Andrews left. A few minutes later Don was resting peacefully.

7:59 PM Step-Down Unit 352

Dr.Andrews had decided that Don was well enough to be moved to the step-down unit. Alan was scared when he came back and found that his son was no longer in his room in the ICU. Alan was relieved when a nurse said that Don had been moved down to room 352 on the step-sown unit. Don had slept most of the afternoon and evening. He woke up briefly when Dr.Andrews stopped by to change his dressings. Confident that his son would live through the night, Alan took Charlie home. Terry came by soon after Alan and Charlie left. Terry just stared at Don before taking his hand. Terry must have had the magical touch because Don woke up.

"Hey, nice to see your eyes again," Terry said while rubbing her fingers through Don's hair.

"Hey to you too. Did you just come back from work?"

"Yep, someone has to do your paperwork."

Don smiled at Terry's comment.

"How do you feel?"

"Useless," Don said with a smirk.

"That's okay, you should rest."

Don had just fallen back asleep when David Sinclair rushed into the room, and he was out of breath. Don immediately awoke when David arrived.

"What's wrong David?" Terry said standing up.

"Chris O'Brian has escaped."

"Who's that?" asked Don, who was trying to sit up.

"The guy who shot you."


	6. Trouble

Author's Note: **Thank ya'll so much for reading!** I'm so excited that people like my story. I'm trying to update as fast as I can. I appreciate everyone's feedback. **Thank you for reviewing!** I appreciate it so much, and it helps me out a great deal!

Special thanks to Bloodsuckers37 for reading and helping me get the medical 'stuff' right, and correcting my myriad of mistakes.

**Bad to Worse**

Chapter 6- Trouble

8:00 PM 352 Step-Down Unit

"What?" Don said with a look of panic across his face.

"His wounds were not a serious as we thought. O'Brian had a minor shoulder wound that went straight through without causing any significant damage," David said, trying to take a breath.

"How did he escape?" Terry asked.

"Somehow he got the guard to come over and O'Brian stole his gun. He left the hospital, but someone in the ward said that O'Brian said that he would be back, to finish what he started."

Everyone looked at Don, who was in deep thought.

"All right, put out an APB on O'Brian, alert the LAPD, and have news channels run his picture. Did O'Brian say specifically who he was after?" Don said while pushing the button on the side of the bedrail, allowing him to sit up.

"No, but our best guess is you. I've got guys going over his files. I want to send officers to your dad's house."

"Alright, but don't let them leave until morning. If O'Brian is watching the house, dad and Charlie leaving will tell him that we know who he's going after. Also make sure red flags go up if someone tries to see what room I'm in."

David nodded and left. Terry just sat there looking at Don; both knowing what could happen if O'Brian was to get a hold of an Eppes.

8:59 Eppes Residence

Several police cars and unmarked cars pulled up into the driveway. David Sinclair got out of an unmarked car. He was about to knock on the door when Alan opened it.

"What's going on David?" Alan asked.

Alan opened the door to let David and a couple of officers in. Charlie rose from the sofa he was lying on.

"The guy who shot Don has escaped from the hospital."

"How can that be?" Alan asked sitting down at the table.

"His wounds weren't as serious as we thought. Somehow he got the guard to come over and he took the guard's gun and left the hospital. He told another patient that he would be back to finish what he started."

"Finish what he started…Don!"

Alan rose from the table and headed for the door. A police officer stood in the doorway and would not let Alan leave. Clearly Alan was getting frustrated and angry.

"Mr.Eppes, we can't let you leave. We have orders to make sure that you remain in this house until morning. If this guy is watching your house, then he can follow you to Don. We don't know who this guy will go after; it could be anyone of you."

Of course Alan caught that someone had ordered him to not leave his house.

"Who's orders?" Alan asked angrily.

"Don's," David said in a low voice.

"Who's?"

"Don's," David said loud enough for Alan to hear.

Alan got quiet, and he just stood there. Alan would get quiet instead of yelling when his son's made him angry.

"I'm not going to deal with this right now," Alan said as he stormed off to his room.

"Is Don okay?" Charlie asked David.

"Yes, there are agents and police officers being positioned around the hospital as we speak. There will be guards at his room, and Terry is with him. That hospital is probably as safe as Fort Knox right now."

"How did this guy find out who Don was and that he was still alive?"

"We don't know for sure, but my best guess would be that he saw something on TV or heard someone talking."

Charlie sat there for a second and not knowing what to do. Finally Charlie got up and followed his father. David positioned several officers around the outside of the house and went to his car to get situated for a long night.

8:17 AM 352 Step-Down Unit

Alan finally persuaded David to let him and Charlie leave the house that morning. Alan was getting nervous because he had not heard from Don or Terry since he left. When Alan and Charlie arrived at the hospital, they were escorted into the hospital by armed police officers. Alan and Charlie went up to Don's room immediately. There were several agents posted on the floor. Two were standing outside of Don's room. Alan nodded at both of them and went into Don's room. Alan gasped when he saw that the room was empty. Charlie also gasped when he got into the room. Alan walked out of the room to one of the agents at the door.

"Where is my son?" Alan demanded.

The agent pointed to several figures walking down the hall. Don was leaning heavily on his IV pole he was holding on to. Charlie noticed a container with blood hanging on the pole, and a tube snaking out of Don's side to the container. Terry and another woman were on each of Don's side. The three people walked up to Alan and Charlie.

"You have explaining to do Donald Eppes," Alan said authoritatively.

"Nice to see you to dad," Don said stopping and resting for a minute, looking tired.

"Why is he walking this soon?" Alan asked the therapist.

"It's not uncommon for patients to walk and be up moving a couple of days after surgery. From what I heard, Don persuaded Dr.Andrews to let him walk," the therapist said, getting ready to walk some more.

"Come on, lets walk," Alan said taking the physical therapist's spot next to Don.

They started walking and Charlie ran up to the group and took Terry's place. Terry and the physical therapist walked behind the Eppes trio. Alan held on to his oldest son's free arm to help keep him balanced.

"You look tired Don," Charlie said.

"I didn't sleep that well last night."

"No doubt it was because he was prisoner in his room, like us," Alan said steering Don around the corner.

"I'm sorry dad, I had to do it. I knew you would have come here when you found out. We could let O'Brian know that we knew who he's going after. We couldn't risk him following you to me."

The three Eppes were silent the rest of the way around the unit. The physical therapist motioned for them to stop when they got back around to Don's room. She helped Don back into bed, hooked up the monitors, and left. Terry stayed instead of leaving like she normally did. The rest of the morning dragged on in silence, everyone waiting for someone to say that O'Brian had showed up. No such news came; periodically an agent would come in and update everyone on the situation. A nurse came in several times to check on Don and the monitors. Everyone's stomach started growling around lunch time. Charlie was the first one to break the silence.

"I'm hungry, anyone want anything from downstairs?"

"Yeah, French fries," Don said.

"Whatever looks safe," Alan said getting some money for Charlie.

"I'll go with you," Terry said standing up.

Charlie got the money and headed out the door with Terry following.

12:38 PM Cafeteria

Terry and Charlie were paying when a man with a heavy coat and sunglasses on came in. Everything went in slow motion when the man took a gun out of a pocket. He fired on round into the ceiling and everyone screamed and ducked. Instinctively Terry pulled Charlie to the ground.

"Everyone move over here," the man said pointing to the vending machine area with his gun. "If any of you try to escape I will shoot you."

The people in the cafeteria moved to the vending machines, including Charlie and Terry. Terry and Charlie stood behind the crowd.

"What room is Don Eppes in?" the man asked looking into the crowd.

No one spoke up. Charlie looked at Terry who was getting her cell phone out. She dialed a number, and laid the phone down on a nearby table. Since she was behind a tall man, the guy with the gun did not see her. David was listening on the other end.

"What room is Don Eppes in, the FBI guy?" the guy asked again. "If nobody gives me any answers, I'm going to shoot this woman," the guy said as he grabbed the cafeteria clerk.

David was silent as he heard the man on the other end. David immediately ran to Don's room with his cell phone in his ear.

12:40 Step-Down Unit

David came running into Don's room. Don and Alan rose up.

"What is it?" Don asked.

"There's a guy in the cafeteria, with a gun, demanding to know where you are," David said breathless with his hand over the microphone on his cell phone. "He's holding the people in the cafeteria hostage until he finds out where you are."

"The cafeteria…Charlie!" Don said realizing what was happening.

I hope you enjoyed! More coming soon! **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	7. The Morgue

Author's Note: **Thank ya'll so much for reading!** I'm so excited that people like my story. I'm trying to update as fast as I can. I appreciate everyone's feedback. **Thank you for reviewing!** I appreciate it so much, and it helps me out a great deal!

Special thanks to Bloodsuckers37 for reading and helping me get the medical 'stuff' right, and correcting my myriad of mistakes.

**Bad to Worse**

Chapter 7- The Morgue

12:44 PM 352 Step-Down Unit

"Shit," Don said under his breath.

"Terry called me on her phone and laid it down somewhere in the cafeteria. So far no one has been shot yet," David said.

"Do we know if it is O'Brian?"

A woman in a suit came in and whispered something in David's ear and left. David stood there for a second before he told Don what the woman had said.

"Security cameras just confirmed that it is O'Brian in the cafeteria."

"Try to stall O'Brian, and go get Dr.Andrews," Don said swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

David acknowledged Don's orders and left to go get Dr.Andrews.

"Where do you think you're going?" Alan said stepping in front of Don.

"I've got to get down there."

"I don't think so, you're staying right here. I don't need to have two sons down there with that mad man, one is enough. Besides, you can barely walk."

"O'Brian wants me; it is the only way to make sure he doesn't hurt a hostage."

Both of them got quiet, knowing that Don meant Charlie. David came back with Dr.Andrews and a nurse, knowing what Don's intentions would be.

"What do you think you're doing?" Dr.Andrews asked coming into the room.

"I need for you to take all of this stuff out," Don said pointing to the chest tube and IV.

"I don't think so; there is still pressure inside your chest cavity, preventing your left lung from expanding all of the way. Just what are you going to do?"

"Go take O'Brian out. Don't worry; I'll wear a Kevlar vest."

"Agent Eppes, if you get shot in the chest, even if the vest stops the bullet, the impact could break a rib and puncture your lung. Since the pressure in your lung cavity hasn't returned to normal yet and if I remove the chest tube too soon, then the pressure could increase and your lung could collapse again," Dr.Andrews said angrily.

"What if I sign a release or something?"

"Then lawfully, I have to…do as you wish."

Dr.Andrews turned to Alan who was getting madder by the minute, but Alan just stood there staring at his oldest son.

"Bring me that paper," Don ordered.

Dr.Andrews and the nurse left to get the release form. Alan stood there for a minute before he said anything.

"Don, you cannot go down there."

"I have to dad," Don said turning away from his father.

"Don't think that you're too old for me to put you across my knee and bust your ass. I wouldn't be able to live if you or Charlie died, especially since your mother died."

"That's why I have to go."

_Why doesn't he understand?_

Dr.Andrews came back with the nurse, who was carrying various supplies. Dr.Andrews handed Don a clipboard and a pen. Don quickly read over the paper and signed it. Dr.Andrews took the clipboard and pen.

"First, I'm going to take the chest tube out," Dr.Andrews said snapping on gloves. "I need you to lie down flat. After that, I'm going to wrap your chest with an ace wrap to help give you support and more protection."

Don nodded and laid back. The nurse fixed the bed so that it was flat and high, so Dr.Andrews could reach without having to bend down much. The nurse also untied Don's gown and pulled it down, exposing the chest tube. Alan watched from the foot of the bed.

"I need you to take in a deep breath and hold it."

Don nodded and Dr.Andrews prepared to pull the tube. The nurse injected something into Don's IV.

"What was that?" Don asked.

"A mild pain killer," Dr.Andrews said without looking up from his work. "Okay, now I need you to take in a deep breath and hold it."

Don did as Dr.Andrews said. The nurse handed Dr.Andrews a bandage. Dr.Andrews pulled the tube out and pressed the bandage over the hole. Don winced as Dr.Andrews pressed the bandage over the hole.

"Sorry, I have to get this tight so air cannot get in," Dr.Andrews said taping the bandage in place. "I'm not going to change your bandages since they were just changed this morning."

Dr.Andrews helped Don sit on the side of the bed. Together, the nurse and Dr.Andrews wrapped Don's chest in an ace wrap. After everything was done, the nurse took the IV out.

"I'll be back once you get dressed," Dr.Andrews said as he cleaned up there area where he worked. After Dr.Andrews was done, he and the nurse left the room.

Alan left the room so his son could get dressed. Don went to the closet and found his duffel bag that Alan had brought. Don dressed as quickly as he could, which was sports pants and a t-shirt. Alan came back in and helped Don put on his socks and tennis shoes. Alan went over to the closet and got the Kevlar vest that David had left the night before. He helped Don put it on, and Don put a long sleeve t-shirt over the vest. Dr.Andrews came back once Don was finished dressing.

"I need one more thing," Don said.

1:07 PM Cafeteria

O'Brian was getting restless with no one giving him answers. Terry and Charlie were still standing near the vending machines. Luckily O'Brian had not seen them yet.

"Go find out where Don Eppes is, E-P-P-E-S," O'Brian said to the cafeteria clerk. "If you don't come back, I'm going to shoot him," O'Brian said grabbing a little boy.

The clerk ran out of the cafeteria. She came back a few minutes later, with a piece of paper in her hand.

"Donald Eppes is in the morgue, he coded at 12:30," the clerk read from the paper. "The computer said that there was a blood clot in his leg, and it traveled to his lung."

Charlie and Terry were quiet, not realizing that Don wasn't really dead.

_Oh no! I knew I shouldn't have left him! This is all my fault._

"I want proof!" O'Brian demanded. "We're going to the morgue. I want everyone to walk around me, and if any one tries to run, I will shoot you."

Everyone gathered around O'Brian and walked down to the morgue.

1:14 PM Morgue

The morgue was cold, and the air was stale. O'Brian locked all of the doors in the morgue. The hostages fled to a corner, and stood there. O'Brian easily found Don's body since the other body out was an old woman. Charlie almost cried when he saw his older brother. Charlie tried to run to Don, but Terry stopped him. Charlie could see the paleness of Don's face from the other side of the room. A sheet was drawn up to Don's neck. The coroner was standing on the other side of the room.

"Is this Don Eppes?" O'Brian asked for conformation.

The coroner looked at a piece of paper on the counter and took off his face shield. The coroner was Dr.Andrews.

"Yes, that's Don Eppes," Dr.Andrews said moving towards the other hostages.

Charlie noticed that the coroner was Dr.Andrews. Puzzled, Charlie watched Don's chest intently, and sure enough, Charlie saw it moved slightly.

_Alive!_

O'Brian pulled back the sheet covering Don to reveal a gun pointed directly at O'Brian's face. O'Brian slowly backed away as Don sat up.

"Didn't think that you could get rid of me that easily?" Don asked, hopping off the table.

Don looked at Charlie to see if he was alright. O'Brian caught Don looking at Charlie, and he went over to the hostages and grabbed Charlie, putting his gun to Charlie's head. Don stopped moving, his eyes fixed on O'Brian.

"Don't move or… what's your name?" O'Brian asked Charlie.

"Ch-Charlie," Charlie stuttered.

"Don't move or I'll splatter Charlie's brains out over the floor," O'Brian commanded with his finger inching towards the trigger.

I hope you enjoyed! More coming soon!

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	8. The Showdown

Author's Note: **Thank ya'll so much for reading!** I'm trying to update as fast as I can. I appreciate everyone's feedback. **Thank you for reviewing!** I appreciate it so much, and it helps me out a great deal!

Special thanks to Bloodsuckers37 for reading and helping me get the medical 'stuff' right, and correcting my myriad of mistakes.

**Bad to Worse**

Chapter 8- The Show Down

1:19 PM Vacant Room

O'Brian and Don were locked into a stand-off, and neither of them had moved since O'Brian put the gun next to Charlie's head. That is exactly what Alan and other agents were watching on a TV screen. A tactical station had been set up in a room directly above the morgue. Several agents had discreetly drilled a hole into the floor and threaded a small camera through the hole. David Sinclair was directing the whole operation.

"How can we hear them?" Alan asked David.

"Before Don went down, we hid a small microphone in his vest and put a small earpiece in his ear so we can talk to him," David said.

"Why aren't there more officers down there?"

"Don said specifically, that he be the only one down there. He said something about not risking the safety of the hostages."

By then the morgue and the area surrounding it had been blocked off by armed police officers. Alan was also watching Don, and Don's pain was evident. Dr.Andrews had only allowed Don to go down there only if he would be down there in case something bad happened. Alan continued to watch as the stand-off continued.

1:20 PM Morgue

"What is Charlie to you?" O'Brian asked, never taking his eyes off Don.

Don didn't respond to the question. Charlie's eyes were locked onto Don, pleading for help.

"Since he won't answer, what are you to Don?" O'Brian asked Charlie.

"H-He's my b-brother," Charlie stammered out.

"Oh, well isn't that nice, two Eppes."

"If you harm Charlie, I will kill you, you son-of-bitch," Don said advancing towards O'Brian.

"No you won't because you're going to put your gun down, and if you don't, well let's say that Charlie may only have a few more seconds left to live."

Don stopped immediately. He debated what to do for a second, and he slowly bent down and dropped his gun on the floor. Don winced as he bent down, the pain becoming more obvious as he rose. There was layer of sweat already on Don's face.

"Good, now kick it over here."

Don kicked the gun to O'Brian's feet.

"Charlie, why don't you get that gun for me."

Charlie slowly bent down and retrieved the gun. Charlie handed O'Brian the gun, and O'Brian pointed it at Don. Now O'Brian had two guns, one pointed at each of the Eppes.

Terry was watching from behind O'Brian, knowing that if she moved, someone would probably die.

"Now, Don and Charlie, move over to the other hostages."

O'Brian let go of Charlie, and he quickly walked over to Terry. Don followed suit standing in front of Terry and Charlie, protecting them. O'Brian walked over to the phone, and looked at it.

"When will they call?"

As if on cue, the phone rang.

"Now," Don said.

O'Brian picked up the phone.

"Yes," O'Brian said turning to face the hostages in the corner. "Nope, everyone's fine. I got what I want. Food?"

O'Brian looked at the hostages and questioned them if they wanted something to eat; several people nodded 'yes'.

"Yea, I'll give you four hostages for four large pizzas and drinks. Make sure you tell the D.A. that I fed and did not harm the hostages."

About 15 minutes later there was a knock on the door. O'Brian sent Charlie to retrieve the pizza and drinks. Once O'Brian saw that everything was there, he let three women and the little boy go, which left 9 people. Dr.Andrews, Charlie, Terry, and Don sat together with a pizza. Everyone was eating except for Don.

"Don, you need to eat," Charlie said taking a drink from his bottle of water.

"I'm not hungry; you go ahead and eat it." Don's said adjusting the Kevlar vest.

"At least drink," Dr.Andrews said handing Don a bottle of water.

Don accepted the bottle of water and took a few sips. Terry just stared at Don.

"More than that," Terry said.

Don only took another sip and put the cap back on the bottle.

"Are you okay?" Terry asked, putting down her slice of pizza.

"Sure," Don said eyeing O'Brian, who was also eating.

Terry saw that the bandage on Don's neck was tinged with blood.

2:35 PM Morgue

Nothing had happened for the past hour. Alan was getting worried about his sons, and that this situation showed no end. David had given up trying to contact O'Brian, since he never answered the phone again. After an hour, Don had had enough of O'Brian doing nothing.

"What do you want O'Brian?" Don asked standing up slowly.

"You," O'Brian said pointing his gun on Don.

"Why don't you let the others go, and why did you feed them?"

"I may need them for something and I don't want to hurt anyone else that doesn't need to be. Who knows, I may get a reduced sentence for taking care of the hostages," O'Brian said laughing. "Why are you so interested all of a sudden?"

"Because it's been an hour and you haven't done or asked for anything. Why did you want the weapons software in the first place?"

O'Brian tensed up when Don asked about the software. He hesitated a moment before answering.

"I was going to sell it."

Everyone, including those in the tactical room, took notice and listened.

"To who?" Don asked moving closer to O'Brian.

"Hey, stay where you are."

Don stopped immediately and put his hands up.

"I'm not going anywhere. Now who were you selling the software to?"

"I don't know exactly, but I know I was to ship the software to Jordan once I got it."

"You mean the country, right?"

"Yes, I was to be paid 10 million dollars to get the software and ship it to Jordan. I was almost done, until you showed up. You killed most of my family and closest friends."

"Hey, it's my job to protect…"

"If it's your job, stop me," O'Brian said as he fired his gun into the crowd of hostages.

Don had no time to react before O'Brian sent a round hurdling towards the hostages. The round hit a man in his upper left chest. Bright red blood spread across the man's left chest.

Vacant Room

Alan came back just as O'Brian fired his gun. All Alan saw was Don standing in front of O'Brian, and O'Brian firing his gun.

"Shots fired, shots fired."

The shots sent the agents and police officers into a frenzy. David put his headset on, which was hanging around his neck.

"Don, is everyone all right?"

"One guy was hit," Don said softly.

David cursed under his breath. He went into action immediately.

Morgue

Dr.Andrews rushed over to the man that was shot. O'Brian aimed his gun at Dr.Andrews.

"What are you doing?" O'Brian asked Dr.Andrews, who was trying to stop the bleeding.

"Trying to save this man's life."

"Step away doctor."

"If this man doesn't get help, he'll die," Dr.Andrews said, continuing to work.

"I said step away doctor."

O'Brian squeezed the trigger slightly when Dr.Andrews didn't move. The round soared towards Dr.Andrews. The bullet went straight through the side of Dr.Andrews head and was lodged into the wall. Dr.Andrews slumped over the man who had been shot. Don was powerless to stop O'Brian. The other hostages moved away from the two men. Charlie stared at the two men, never having seen someone die before. Don saw Charlie's anxiety.

_9 people, 2 shots fired, 2 guns; 10-15 bullets each, 1 bullet for each person._

"Was that necessary?" Don asked.

"I told him to step away."

"He was a doctor."

"Hey, if you don't shut up and sit down, I'll shoot Charlie next."

Don backed away and sat next to Terry.

2:45 PM Vacant Room

"Shots fired, shots fired."

Everyone watched as O'Brian shot Dr.Andrews. Alan watched in horror because he knew Don was not able to stop this man. David picked up the phone and called the morgue. There was no answer, so he tried again. Again there was no answer. David repositioned the microphone attached to his headset.

"Don, are you and the others okay?"

"Yes," Don said softly.

"Do you need a doctor?"

"Not anymore, the other guy just died."

"We're going to get everyone out, is everyone away from the double doors?"

"Yes, we've moved to another corner."

David turned around to the other people in the room.

"Get a team down there now; I want all of the hostages out. They've moved to another corner away from the double doors."

David got up and went with the several agents and officers that were going to go retrieve the hostages. Alan sat in the chair in front of the TV screen.

2:50 PM Morgue

The tactical team was waiting around the corner. Don knew they were coming so he was trying to think of a way to subdue O'Brian. Don saw his gun tucked into O'Brian's pants on his side.

_There's no way I can get that._

Don put his hand on Charlie's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Charlie squeezed Don's hand back, both of them not saying anything. Don saw someone's feet as they ran by the morgue. Unfortunately O'Brian saw the person too. O'Brian took his other gun out and took the safety off.

"If you come in here I'll shoot someone," O'Brian shouted aiming one gun at Charlie and the other at the door.

The lights went out and the doors burst open with smoke billowing out. O'Brian fired his gun, the flash of light piercing the darkness. Don took the opportunity to lunge at O'Brian and grabbed the other gun. Several people in tactical gear filed into the room, their weapons trained on O'Brian. When the lights came on, Don and O'Brian had their guns pointed at one another. No one dared to move.

"Don," a voice called from the hostages.

Don looked to see Terry hovering Charlie who had been shot in the arm. Charlie was lying on the ground unconscious. O'Brian saw Don take his eyes off him, and he squeezed the trigger, launching a bullet at Don. In a split second Don turned around and fired his gun. The bullets hitting their targets precisely in the chest, and both men fell to the ground.

Vacant Room

Alan dropped his cup of coffee when he saw Charlie and Don fall. He sat there and watched for a few seconds, not knowing what to do.

_No!_

Alan jumped out of the chair and ran to the morgue

Morgue

Terry rushed over to Don.

"Don," Terry said, trying to keep Don from passing out.

Terry noticed that Don's breathing was becoming labored. She pulled Don's shirt off, and she pulled the bullet out of the vest. She took the vest off and threw it to the side. The entire upper left side of Don's t-shirt was soaked with blood.

"What the hell," Terry said ripping Don's t-shirt and ace bandage open.

All of the bandages were soaked with blood. There was a faint bruise forming on Don's left chest. David Sinclair rushed over to Terry and Don. Other people were rushing to O'Brian and Charlie.

"Shit, hey Don! Stay with us!" David said, trying to keep Don awake.

Don's head rolled to the side, his eyes focused on Charlie. Charlie was being attended to by several agents. All Don noticed was that Charlie's pale face stood out from his dark hair.

"Charlie," was all Don could say before losing consciousness.

I hope you enjoyed! More coming soon! Sorry this chapter was so long, there were no good places to stop.

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	9. Aftermath

Author's Note: **Thank ya'll so much for reading!** I'm trying to update as fast as I can. I appreciate everyone's feedback. **Thank you for reviewing!** I appreciate it so much, and it helps me out a great deal!

Special thanks to Bloodsuckers37 for reading and helping me get the medical 'stuff' right, and correcting my myriad of mistakes.

**Bad to Worse**

Chapter 9- The Aftermath

10:14 AM Room 201

The Eppes brothers had been placed in the same room. Alan sat in the middle so that he would have easy access to both of his sons. It looked like Charlie was going to be the first one to wake up. He was squirming, as if he was having a nightmare, so Alan took his son's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze in the hopes of comforting him.

"Don?" Charlie asked without opening his eyes.

"Sorry, you only get me."

Charlie opened his eyes when he realized Don wasn't there.

"Sorry, I thought you were Don. Where's Don?" Charlie said turning his head towards his father.

"It's okay."

"Mmm, my head hurts."

"I bet it does, from what I heard, you hit your head pretty hard when you fell. You should feel lucky."

"Why?" Charlie asked looking unsure.

"The bullet only damaged some muscle, nothing major."

"That's nice," Charlie said trying to doze back off. "Where's Don?"

"He's over there," Alan said pointing to Don.

Charlie opened his eyes to look at Don, who was resting peacefully. Charlie could see that the IV and chest tube had been replaced, including the nasal cannula.

"What happened to him?" Charlie said rising up.

"The bullet broke a rib, which punctured his lung. The doctors had to put the chest tube back in. It also turned out that your brother was dehydrated too. Don't worry; the doctor said that he should be okay."

Charlie settled back down.

"I'm tired."

"I'll leave you alone then. You need to rest."

Soon Charlie was asleep again. It was soon after Charlie went to sleep; Don started showing signs of waking up. Alan moved his chair closer to his older son. Alan took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Don slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to face his father.

"Not again," Don said looking at his surroundings.

"Unfortunately, yes. How do you feel?"

"Sore, I got shot at point blank range."

"At least your vest stopped the bullet."

"What happened?"

"To you?"

"Yeah."

"Well, the impact broke a rib, which punctured your lung again. The doctor had to put the chest tube back in. You were also dehydrated."

Don closed his eyes and nodded. He opened his eyes again when he thought about Charlie.

"How's Charlie?"

Alan pointed at Charlie, so Don could see for himself. Charlie was resting peacefully.

"The bullet didn't do anything serious."

Don put his hand over his eyes.

"This is my fault."

"No its not, you had no control over what O'Brian was doing or going to do."

"How is O'Brian anyways?"

"He's dead; he was shot directly in the heart."

"I must have good aim," Don said smiling.

There was an awkward moment of silence.

"I take it that you're still mad at me," Don said breaking the silence.

"I don't know. I'm happy you killed that man and saved lives, but then you also got shot yourself."

A soft knock interrupted the conversation. A young female doctor walked in.

"Good morning Mr.Eppes, I'm Dr.Cecil; I was working on you in the ER. You look a lot better than when I first saw you. How do you feel?" the doctor said coming in the room and standing next to Don's bed.

"Sore," was all Don could say.

"That's normal, and you'll probably be sore for a couple of days. You tore most of your stitches, so we had to put them back in."

"How long until I can leave?"

"Well, it depends on how fast your lung heals. Since your lung didn't collapse completely, it should be about a few days at the least. I wish I could give you a more definite answer."

"Can I walk?" Don said sitting up.

"Not far, for right now, just to the bathroom."

"Good," Don said swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

Dr.Cecil saw what Don was trying to do, so she stepped in and helped him. Don used her to help him stand up. After a moment of vertigo, he walked slowly to the bathroom that was near the closet. A few moments later Don walked back to his bed, and Dr.Cecil helped get him settled. The little walk exhausted Don, and he was asleep shortly after Dr.Cecil left. Dr. Cecil checked the chest tube and Don's lungs. After she was done, she checked on Charlie and left.

6:03 PM Room 201

Alan sat there between his sons as they slept. After hunting for awhile, he had found the TV remote for the TV on the wall. The volume had been turned down, not to disturb anyone. By then the evening news was on. The Eppes brothers were restless, and they were both awake by the time the weather came on. There were several stories, including an escaped monkey at the zoo, but one story caught everyone's attention.

"_Speaking of escapees, Chris O'Brian has been caught and killed. Chris O'Brian was the man responsible for last week's shooting and he had escaped from LA Memorial. The police said that O'Brian came back and took several people hostage. 2 people were killed and 2 people were injured during the situation. The FBI said that an agent was responsible for taking O'Brian out. The FBI also said_ _that the agent was the agent critically wounded in last weeks shooting. Wow, that agent must have been superman. As it turns out, superman is coming back to LA…"_

The Eppes were silent as they stared at the TV screen. Alan looked at the floor, knowing what could have happened. Charlie was the first one to break the silence.

"That's twice Don," Charlie said sitting up.

"Yeah, that's nice," Don said sarcastically.

There was a long silence as everyone was thinking about O'Brian and what could have happened. The silence was broken by Alan's stomach growling.

"Its okay dad, go eat." Don said.

"Are you sure?"

Alan finally made up his mind, and walked to the door.

"Does anybody want anything from the cafeteria?"

"No," the brothers said in unison.

Alan smiled and left.

3 days later

Finally, Don got lucky. His lung had healed and was being discharged. Charlie had been discharged the day before. Charlie and Don were waiting at the door for their father to bring the car up. When Alan got there, Charlie headed straight for the front seat.

"I don't think so Charlie," Don said as the aide wheeled him to the car.

"What do you mean," Charlie said opening the door.

"I'm older and I was hurt worse than you so I get the front seat."

"If you sit in the back, you can stretch out."

"Get in the back," Don said motioning for Charlie to move.

Hesitating, Charlie got in the back seat. The aide helped Don into the car and left.

"By the way, dad, where is my truck?"

Alan sat there, not knowing how to break the bad news.

"Well, it's been impounded by the police as evidence. If you get it back, it's going to need a new windshield and front seat."

"You gotta be kidding," Don said as they drove off.

**The End. **

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